Device foe- bubajtrtg vaporous ob gaseous fuel



M. IVI. GILLAIVI.

DEVICE EUR BURNING vAPoRous 0R GAsEous FUEL.

APPLICATlON FILED DEC Il. |918.

Paivnted J ul)Y 29, 1919.

y the function of MAN LY M. GILLAM, OF FLSHING, NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR BURNING VAPOROUS OR GASEOUS FUEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Yatented July 29, 1919.

Application led December 11, 1918. Serial No. 266,305.

To all whom it may Concern: y

Be it known that I, MANLY M. GILLAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flushing, Long Island, in the county of Queens, State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful,Improvements in Devices for Burning Vaporous or Gaseous Fuel, of which't-he following is a specifica-- tion.

Using my Patents No. 1,107,605 and No. 1,138,745 for improvements in adjustable heat and fuel economizers for stoves, ranges and furnaces,.dated August 18th, 1914, and May 11th, 1915 respectively, as a basis I enlarge and amplify their scope to conform to the requirements of a more extended field, the device covered by these patents being to heat atmospheric air in damper-controlled quantities and 'to deliver the V said air at a high temperature into a combustion base or chamber to be there mixed with combustible gas or vaporwith a view to making the quick and complete combustion of either the. gas or the vapor easily possible, thus effecting a considerable saving of fuel.

My present invention has relation to a fuel burning device designed to insure the eective, economical and controllable combustion for heating, cooking and power purposes, of any form of fuel gas or vapor, particularly of hydrocarbon vapors produced, given off or mixed from any source but especially when produced from a petroleum product such as kerosene.

In the use of any petroleum product as fuel important problems are to safely, simply and controllably vaporize the substance, maintain it at a high temperature until it can be brought to the burner, which must be especially adapted to the purpose, and make sure that before reaching the point of combustion, the said vapor has been intimately and thoroughly mixed with properly heated atmospheric air in a proportion to supply the necessary oxygen.

Various means have been tried to do this but, so far as I know, those that were reasonably successful in some features have not been simple, safe, economical, effective and satisfactory as a whole. c

To make the production, control and combustion of such vapors or gaseous product s effective and economical as well as simple and easily controlled are the objects of my invention. Broadly speaking unie very much increased by wise, part of the resulting vapor being forced by the pressure of its. own expansiveness, due to heat, upward through an aperture or through apertures provided into the neck of a superior combustion base or chamber where after mingling with preheated atmospheric air in controllable proportions it is forced by the said pressure of heat expansiveness through meshes or perforations forming part of the outer shell of the said superior combustion base or chamber in a condition to be ignited and -burned on its outer surface; another part of the vapor generated in the said expansion bulb or reservoir vbeing forced by the same pressure of heat expansiveness downward through a tube pro vided and then by an elbow or curve in the said tube brought into a position to centrally discharge the said vapor upwardly into a larger tube therein mingling with atmospheric air in a proportion to permit the mixture to burn with great intensity on the surface of an area of meshes or perforations constituting an inferior combustion base or chamber, interposed at a point where the resulting heat will serve to continuously and adequately produce the required vaporizing temperature in the said expansion bulb or reservoir. In this way they heat derived from burning a portion of the vapor generated in the said expansion bulb or reservoir maintains a continuous vaporizing temperature in the said expansion bulb or reservoir and makes possible the vapor needed to give the entire device effectiveness as a source of heat for domestic or power purposes.

Since any gas expands ,--g part of its volume at Odegree centigrade for each degree centigrade of increased temperature it is evident that in vaporizing kerosene as aforesaid in the said expansion rbulb or reservoir of myl device not only is the volthe physical change in the substance but by the effect of heat on the vapor itself. The resulting pressure is sufficient to force the said vapor through a very small aperture in any direction.

.That an inflammable vaporous or gaseous product will not be ignited under normal atmospheric pressure by the near approach of a flame, if that flame is surrounded by an. envelopof finely perforated or meshed noncombustible substance has long been well known. In the case of my device the inflammable vaporous or gaseous product is itself surrounded by a perforated or meshed envelop and is safe from any touch of flame so long as it remains confined by said envelop, but when forced through the interstices or openings of the said perforated or meshed envelop, as operatively shown in my device, it comes in contact with dame, and burns with controllable intensity on the outer surface of the said perforated or meshed material.

It is of great importance to the satisfactory working of such a device that the said vapor be very hot, that it be so thoroughly mixed or blended with atmospheric air that the resulting/mechanical combination appreaches a chemical union in completeness and that it be forced through the said perforations or meshes while at a very high temperature. In this condition it will burn on or near the outer surface of the said perforations or meshes with intense heat, as a blue flame or as a blue flame with tinges of green Iand violet and with persistent uniformity. l

I accomplish the thorough mixing or blending of the said vapor and air by the conformation of the superior combustion base or chamber of mv device and by the whirling motion imparted by baffles to the heated air as delivered into the said combustion base or chamber at the discharge opening of the last of the sections in my said fuel saving device-the third section in the grouping I usually prefer for this purpose,'the said adjustable heat 4and fuel economizer being a device for hea-ting atmospheric air b-y passing it over a baffled course of metal at high temperature before it is dedelivered into a combustion base or chamber. The jet of heated hydrocarbon vapor projected upward from the said expansion bulb or reservoir tends to spread as it'progresses and to some degree mixes with the swirling air; centrally of the said combustion base or chamber the upward rushing jet and currents of vapor and of air impinge upon a spreading plate whichtends to blend them more completely and as they are then deflected downwardly and outwardly through comparatively narrow space the swirling, turbulent movement is g1ven new direction and made still further turbulent,'and when the mixed or 'blended currents almost immediately afterward 'take an upward and outward course they rush against the surrounding wall of perforations or meshes at such an angle and with such added pressure due to the conformation of the said combustion base or chamber as to spread them evenly and unbrokenly over said wall surface and force them through the said erforations or meshes in a state of practica ly complete homogeneous mixture and in condition to burn as an unbroken .sheet of flame on or near the outer surface of said wall of perforations or meshes.

The nature and scope of my present invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which Figure 1, is a sectional elevation of my complete invention showing it in combination with my/before mentioned fuel saving device, of which three sections are in this instance shown to be employed, lettered a, b, and c respectively, from the base upward tothe third or discharge section, appearing as the bifurcated member. The said device as there shown admits atmospheric air through damper-controlled openings in the bottom of the lowermost section (a), passes the said vair by baflled courses through the interior of that section and of the section next above (b) and discharges it through the neck of the bifurcated section (c) into the lower part of the superior combustion base or chamber to be in said chamber mixed with combustible vapor or gas. A portion of the air passing through the said second section (b) is taken through the central tube (6) and mixed with combustible vapor or gas therein and thereafter in the inferior combustion chamber.- When the device is in operation the said air in its course through the said sections passes into areas of continually increasing heatl until its discharge into the said combustion chambers.

Fig. 2, is al detailed cross sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and including the removable'vaporizing part of my invention.

Fig. 3, is a view, partly in sec-tion, of a part' of my invention, in one form, as adapted for use in a kitchen stove or range.

Fig. 4 is a view of the bottom plate of the superior combustion base or chamber,

showing the flutings in its upper surface.

Referring to the drawings, l, represents the priming pan, l', an extension of the priming pail for convenience in filling or" charging and as a handle by which to remove the heating feature as a unit, from the device or to restore it to its operative place,'2, represents the expansion bulb or reservoir, 3, the intake for liquid fuel and 3', the nipple by which vapor is discharged into the superior combustion base or chamber, 10; 4, represents a pipe leading from the 4expansion bulb or reservoir, 2, and discharging by the outlet, 5, into the tube, 6, open for the admission of atmosphericair at its lower extremity anddischarging both the said vapor and the said atmospheric air into an inferior combustion base or chamber, 7, where they are more thoroughly mixed by being arrested, spread and to some degree thrown back, by the plate, 8, at the top thereof and are very completely intermingled before being forced through the perforations or' meshes of the metal inclosing screen, 9; 8 is a cup-like form fastened to plate, 8, to prevent the mixed air and vapor rom the tube, 6, from proceeding directly against the screen, 9, forcingit downward instead so that when it reaches the said screen its pressure will be exerted in an upward as well as in an outward direction; 6`

is a slot by which pipe, 4, reaches the interior of tube, 6. 10, represents the superior combustion base or chamber of which, 11, is'the neck, 12, the spreader plate, 12', the legs supporting the spreader plate, 12, baffies in the spreader plate, 13, the base plate, 13', the circumferential outer wall or shell of perforated or meshed metal, 13, the band or hoop for holding the lower margin of said circumferential outer wall or shell, 14, the top or cover plate. i

1n the modified form (Fig. 3) as shown, 15, represents a tube for distributively discharging the said mixed atmospheric air and vapor through perforations, 16, inside a perforated or meshed envelop, 17, as one form of my device as adapted for use in a kitchen stove or range.

In practical operation the action of my invention as herein before described, and in the form of the device preferred by me, is as follows; a small quantity of alcohol, gasolene or other easily inflammable substance, is put in the priming pan, 1, where it is ignited and burned, the resulting heat raising thev temperature of the expansion or vaporizing bulb orreservoir, 2, to such a point that when kerosene or other easily volatilized combustible liquid is admitted to it, in limited amounts, the said liquid is quickly vaporized and the said vapor is released in such volumes as to exert considerable pressure ony the inside of said bulb or reservoir, forcing. its way through a small aperture provided in the nipple, 3', and also through the pipe, 4, by which a portion of the said vapor is conducted downward to be discharged upwardly through an aperture in the tip, 5, where it mixes with atmospheric air admitted .through the opening, 6, and passes upward into the small combustion ase or chamber, 7, Where the pressure of heat expansion forces it through the outer wall of perforated or meshed metal, 9, to be then ignited and burned, the heat thus delyeloped steadily,vas required, maintaining aI degree of vaporizing temperature in the 65 said small combustion base or chamber so long as the device vremains in operation. The vapor discharged, as aforesaid, upwardly from the said expansion or vaporizing bulb or reservoir, 2, through the aperture in the nipple, 3, mingles with the preheated atmospheric air discharged into'the neck, 11, of the combustion base or chamber, 10, from the third and last section, c, of my fuel saving device, encounters the spreading plate, 12, is deflected peripherally downwardly and outwardly through the space or passage between the spreading plate, 12, and the bottom plate, 13, being given a whirling, turbulent motion by means of opposed flutings, 12, on proximate faces of the said spreader plate and the said bottom plate, thence taking an upward course to be driven by the force of heat expansion against the circumferential perforated or meshed outer wall, 13', of the said combustion base or chamber and by reason of the upward sweep of the mixture crowding into a continually diminishing space tend- Aing to spread evenly and continuously over the inner surface of the said perforated or meshed lwall and to force itself through the said perforations or meshes therein ina condition to lbe ignited and burned in an unbroken sheet of blue flame, or of blue flame tinged with green and violet, on or near the outer surface thereof.

An important feature of my invention, in the form I prefer, is the removable character of the combustion base or chamber that ives vaporizing heat to the vaporizing bul or reservoir that receives the said liquid fuel. The said combustion base or chamber with its attached priming pan and with its interior conduit arranged to admit atmospheric air at its lower extremity and blend it with the said vapor after being delivered centrally of the lower part of said conduit areA all so united as a unit as to be easily removed from'their operative position and so easily replaced, the discharge end of the tube which delivers the said vapor to the said combustion base or cham-ber being removably admitted to the lower part of the said conduit by a slot or other suitable opening.

Having thus described the nature and object of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Ina device for vaporizing and burning liquid fuel, a vaporizer, a priming pan beneath the vaporizer, means for taking a por- 120 tion of the vaporv from the vaporizer and mixing it with air, means for burning the mixture under the vaporizer to heat it and thereby continue the generation of va or after the initial heat of the priming pan as 125 ceased to operate, means for discharging the remainder of the vapor in the vaporizer upwardly, an air preheater having an inlet below the above named burning means, a main mixing space above the vaporizer, said pre- 130 heater outlet and vapor discharging means entering one end of said mixing space, and a burner cap at the other end of said mixing space for burningthe said remainder, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a device for vaporizing and burning liquid fuel, a vaporizer, primmg means beneath the vaporizer, means for taking a portion of the vapor from the vaporizer and mixing it with air, means for burning the mixture under the vaporizer to heat it and thereby continue the generation of vapor after the initial heat of the riming means has ceased to operate, means or discharging the remainder of the vapor in the vaporizer upwardly, an air preheater having an inlet below the above named burning means, a main mixing space above the vaporizer, said preheater out et and Vapor discharging means entering one end of said mixing space, a burner cap at the other end of said mixin space for burning the said remainder, saiii air preheater comprising an extension below the first said burning means, the air and vapor intake tube of the first said burning means uniting with the said extended section by a slip joint whereby the first said burnin means may be readily removed, substantia ly as and for the purposes described.

3. In a device for burning fluid fuel acombustion base having an upwardly and inwardly inclined foraminous wall, a Huid mixture inlet in the bottom of 'the base, said bottom inclining downwardly and outwardly, a spreader plate over the mixture inlet, said spreader plate inclining downwardly and outwardly to follow substantially, but with upper edge of the wall, said bottom proceedlng upwardly to a marginal union with the lower edge of the wall, a plate at the top of thesaid combustion base to assist by marginal pressure in'holding the said foraminous wall in place, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4f. In a device for burning fluid fuel a combustion base having an upwardly and inwardly inclined foraminous wall, a fiuid mixture inlet in the bottom of the base, said bottom inclining downwardly and outwardly, a spreader plate over the mixture inlet, said spreader plate inclining downwardly and outwardly to follow substantially, but with an interval of space between, the conformation of the bottom of said base, then proceeding upwardly to a marginal union with the upper edge of the wall, said bottom proceeding upwardly to a marginal union with the lower edge of the wall, means in the interior Conformation of said combustion base to act on the said movin mixture volume and to so agitate, swirl anc intermix it as to form a practically homogeneous compound, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my'signature in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

MANLY M. GILLAM. Witnesses `A. L. GILIAM, E,v E. HAINES. 

